Wireless communication networks exchange user data between communication devices to facilitate various data services, like internet access, voice calling, media streaming, data messaging, and the like. Wireless communication networks allow users to move about as they communicate. A popular form of wireless communication network is Long Term Evolution (LTE). Wireless relays are used to extend the coverage area of wireless networks including LTE networks.
The wireless relays serve user devices and exchange user data with wireless base stations or another network gateway. In LTE networks, femtocell relays and picocell relays exchange user data and user signaling over the air between User Equipment (UE) and eNodeBs. The wireless relays also exchange data and signaling between the UEs and a Secure Gateway (Se-GW) over a Local Area Network/Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN). These wireless relay communications use various combinations of Ethernet, Data over Cable System Interface Specification (DOCSIS), Wave Division Multiplex (WDM), Wireless Fidelity (WIFI), Long Term Evolution (LTE), WIFI/LTE Aggregation (LWA), or some other data communication protocol.
The LTE networks use data gateways to provide access to external systems. Packet Data Network Gateways (P-GWs) provide UEs with internet access. The same P-GWs also provide the UEs with media services like voice calling and video conferencing. To support such varied data and media services, the P-GWs are configured to provide several Quality-of-Service (QoS) levels. The QoS levels are specified by QoS Class Identifiers (QCIs). QCI 1 is used for conversational voice. QCI 2 is used for conversational video. QCI 3 is used for interactive gaming. QCI 4 is used for downloading video. QCI 5 is used for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling. QCI 9 is used for basic internet access.
Unfortunately, current wireless networks are not effective when delivering numerous QoS levels over wireless relays. Specifically, the media gateways that serve the wireless relays are dynamically controlled to deliver a number of different QoS levels. The dynamic assignment of different QoS levels in both the wireless relays and the media gateways may become cumbersome and inefficient.